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How electricity grids are being prepared for a climate-neutral future
The restructuring of the energy system is also changing the role of electricity distribution grids in Germany. Grid planning is becoming more and more complex. The same goes for grid operation and maintenance. The expansion of renewable energy and the roll-out of new appliances, such as electric cars and heat pumps, has to be coordinated and managed. To this end, new methods and innovations, such as digital tools to help with decision-making, are to be developed and gradually integrated. This will make it possible to efficiently and reliably plan and operate the electricity system in the future too.
The good news, as stated in the Final report of the Data4Grid project, is that, “Data analyses and artificial intelligence (AI) help manage all these processes and also make them more efficient”. Artificial intelligence has the potential to optimise complex systems and processes, and thus reduce costs. The Future Energy Lab of the German Energy Agency (dena), which brings together stakeholders from the digital and energy industries, is working on addressing this topic. They are trialling digital energy and climate technologies, thus making an important contribution to the success of the energy transition.
Distribution grid operators and startups develop digital solutions and prototypes
To work out the specific cases in which data analyses and AI can be applied, dena’s Future Energy Lab brought distribution system operators and startups together within the Data4Grid project. As part of a competition, they jointly developed specific solutions and prototypes for three key challenges: Scenario analyses on the development of electric mobility provided valuable information for grid planning. The evaluation of metering points to increase grid transparency showed how loads in low-voltage grids can be efficiently monitored. AI-assisted consumption forecasts based on smart meter data illustrate just how load forecasts might be improved using smart meters, and how they guarantee the efficient and secure operation of grids. Smart meters form the digital infrastructure of the energy system of the future and consist of a digital meter and a communication unit – the smart meter gateway. This enables measured values to be transmitted securely and in encrypted form.
Data analyses and artificial intelligence for a sustainable energy supply
Not only can data analyses and artificial intelligence in the electricity grid deliver great added value for grid operators and the overall system, they are also necessary for the success of the transition to a sustainable energy supply.
The Data4Grid final report is supplemented by a project report and a scientific assessment of AI in the electricity grid published by the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology. Guidelines on implementation are to support the distribution system operator in realising data-driven solutions. The first steps include the improving data, strengthening data skills and sharing experiences.